Godanaw > Organisation

Godanaw - the organisation

Godanaw was founded in 1995. It is a local, non-governmental, non-religious charity organisation aimed at addressing the overwhelming tragedy of young girl rape victims aged under 20, i.e. children-mothers, and their children in Kirkos sub-city - a slum area in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Godanaw Rehabilitation Integrated Project (GRIP) is an indigenous NGO (non-governmental organisation), registered by the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice under License Number 321/1952. It is licensed by tripartite project agreement with the Bureau of Finance and Economic Development (BOFED), the Women's Affairs Bureau and Godanaw.

Today, GRIP is the only known programme in Ethiopia providing all round care including sheltering, skills training, day-care centre, school education and health and nutrition care. In this respect, it can be considered as a pilot programme.

It is a declared goal of Godanaw to be as self-sufficient as possible and to use as little resources as possible to achieve as much as possible. For example, the office buildings and classrooms, as well as the multi-purpose hall are built from old overseas containers.

Repairs and extensions can be made in Godanaw's own metal workshop.

The foldable benches and tables in the classrooms and in the multipurpose hall are also self-made in the metal workshop.

Godanaw - the name

"Godana" is the Amharic word for "road". The place of the homeless, belonging to no-one.

"Godanaw" is an alteration of the word "Godana" and can be translated as "our road", or -in a not so literal sense- "our home". This signifies the new home for the street dwellers. A free place.